The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-07-21

ana Mrs. Winter. heard the clock in
a distant church tower strike three
ana then Ifen into a doze. It seemed
70 me that was sitting in large room.
Before me stood Leclair and Mrs
Winter. Her lips moved and she
seemed to be reproaching him, but I
heard nothing. He looked angrily at
her. and she tried to put her arms
around his neck, but he pushed her
roughly away. She sank on her knees
and seized his left hand. He gave her
wicked sidelong glance, and then
with his right hand he drew from his
mp pocket pistol. Not a word had
been spoken. Every thing had been
done in pantomime. Suddenly a curtain
seemed to descend just in front of me
and shut out my view of the pair. But
from behind the curtain now came the
sound OF struggling, and then 1 heard
woman's voice cry out:
80. Charlie, what have I done that
you should wish to take my life!'
"Then the sound of more struggling
came from behind the curtain and the
woman's voice cried:
20, spare me, Charlie, spare me!'
Then l heard the report of pistol.
l suddenly came to myself, and at the
same instant the ceiling overhead shook
and heard something heavy fall upon
the floor above.
II sprang up, but for the moment /
was in dazed condition. from which |
was aroused by the sound of footsteps,
which seemed to come up the stairs
from the floor below and then to ascend
to the floor above. 1t is the fourth
floor front lodger returning late,' I
thought, he steps quietly as becomes q
late conner That had been dream
ing | felt certain; but still it seemed
more than possible that the cries and
the pistol shot at the end of my dream
had been real, and I certainly had
heard something which might have
been dead body fall on the floor
above. Could it be that Mrs. Winter
had been murdered by Leclair! Iplaced
my ear at the fireplace and listened.
heard sounds as if the knob of door
was being turned, and then every thing
was silent. / moved toward my door,
and as I did sol heard footsteps quietly
descending the stairs from the floor
above. The footsteps passed my door,
and then heard them descending the
stairs to the floor below. Iopened l my
door and, stepping softly out on the land
ing, l listened. / heard the door Of Le-
clair's room open..and then shut. now
had no doubt that it was Leclair, and
that he had murdered Mrs. Winter,
either in a fit of jealousy or because he
found her in his way. He looked just the
sort of man to commit murder, /
thought. Twas about to arouse the house
and denounce Leclair, when it flashed
across my mind that. after all, / might
have made mistake, and that Mrs.
Winter might be still alive. After a
moments hesitation concluded to wait
until morning. I crept into bed, and
while trying to solve the strange
mystery of the cries. the pistol shot and
the heavy fall on the floor above, /
fell into adeep sleep.
''It was late in the morning when
awoke. While dressing myself l fixed
upon the course which I thought it
best to pursue. / was about to leave
my room when heard some one burst
in the door of the room above mine.
An instant later loud shrieks rang
through the house. / hurried up the
stairs and entered the room. On the
floor saw the dead body of Mrs. Win
ter. There was a wound in the breast
from which had poured stream of
blood that now lay in pool near the
body. The expression on the dead
woman's face was a peaceful one. The
fingers of her right hand were closed
over the butt of revolver. l felt sure
that the murderer had placed her fin
gers there in order to make it appear
that the poor woman had committed
suicide. AS this thought struck me 1
saw Leclair enter the room. bis face
was very pale, but he looked at the
corpse without flinching and said:
Poor woman, / am very sorry for
her. She has had much trouble. 1t
was more than she could bear. 1t de-
stroyed her reason and drove her to
suicide. She has been very kind to my
wife.
.The landlady with police officer
and several other persons now entered
the room. The officer examined the
corpse and then asked if any one pres
ent knew anything about the suicide
beyond the fact that the body had been
found in its present condition. Twas
about to denonnce Leclair as the MUIR
derer of Mrs. Winter, when, to my sur
prise, he stepped in front Of me and
said to the officer:
II can explain the tragedy. My
name is Leclair Charles Leclair-''
"Your name is Charlie, = thought /.
land the dead woman called on Charlie
to spare her. That is the only Link
wanting in the chain of evidence"